Time to give the other networks a
go.

We currently live in a time dominated by Channel Nine, who currently have the free to air broadcast rights to Rugby League, AFL, Cricket, Wimbledon, U.S Open Tennis, U.S Masters Golf and the major games of the FIFA World Cup.

How can one network be given so much exclusive sports coverage when a staion like Channel Seven, who have Rugby Union, Australian Open Tennis and the Olympics have no major domestic sporting competitions as part of their coverage? We all saw how the Seven used to promote the AFL and the saturated coverage the game used to receive before they jumped into bed with Nine, Ten and Foxtel. It's no coincidence that the AFL have several major issues on their hand, including dwindling crowd numbers due to fractured coverage of the game between two rival free to air networks, Nine and Ten.

The NRL should have bargained harder with Seven for a deal because the coverage we would have seen from them would have been second to none and far superior to what we currently get with Channel Nine. Or were there underlying forces at work set to stifle any offer made by the Seven network?

Even if Nine kept the rights to the NRL matches, why couldn't the coverage of other matches, such as State of Origin or Internationals be shared between the networks so, we the fans don't have to be continually force fed our game from one network who continue to put the fans at the back of the queue?

In years gone by, coverage was at it's best when we had varying opinions and input into the coverage of the game. The ABC used to televise the Saturday afternoon fixtures and Seven used to televise internationals. The continual droning of Warren, Sterling and Vautin has far surpassed tedious and now borders on making the average viewer feel suicidal with their unabashed bias and lack of knowledge of players who don't play for either Parramatta, Brisbane, Newcastle, St George, Canterbury or the Roosters. To see Warren and his crew commentating on a Wests Tigers and Warriors match is downright disgraceful as they all try and pronounce and introduce us to players we already know exist but they, through their inexcusable ignorance, think the viewer is as cereberally challenged as they are. The same goes with the radio rights. Imagine Bruce Mcavaney and co putting their all into the call of the greatest game of all? Beats the sad jokes and innuendo provided by the three blind mice at Channel Nine, not to mention no live games on free to air whatsoever.

Why limit yourself to such a confined audience? It just doesn't make sense. I like choice and variety but as usual, the wishes of the fans will be ignored to cater for those who think know what's best for our game. Things have to change for the game to grow to at the very least, a national level. Do the administrators who run our game really want this or are they happy with small crowds due to the poor coverage we get from free to air networks?